Amperbranding:

The place where Spiroisms meet brand architecture.

Really. No bull.

So let's start by defining what abrand is.

“BRAND” is derived from an Old English word that meant “burning stick.” Owners of livestock burned marks on the hide of animals to indicate ownership. Each owner’s brand was visibly distinctive and recognizable. The brand also communicated relative value—for example, if it represented a highly respected herder whose livestock grazed in a certain area of the Low Country where the grass was extra green and made the meat tastier.

As more people tried his brand of beef, found it consistently tastier time and time again, and told friends about it, that brand came to be prized and commanded a higher price than others. Today, we’d call that beef “low-country beef,” and because it was consistently more delicious, it would be worthy of a 15% premium at the market. How great a brand story is that!

“Amper”– is short for ampersand.

It connects Spiro to Associates in our name. And when that “and” is stuck to “Brand,” it becomes our trademarked process for evaluating your positioning, advertising and marketing, based on all the external factors in the marketplace that work for and against your image. It’s like getting poked with a burning stick—only it hurts a lot less and earns you more.

So do you needamperbranding?

So do
you needamperbranding?

As they say, “paranoia will destroy ya.” And with so much press about the importance of brands, it’s easy to get itchy about yours. Are you growing your brand? Is it working for you? Is it time to evolve? Do you want a side of low-country beef with it? A full-on brand project requires a significant commitment of time and that precious commodity, faith. Tools like the Strategic Brand Assessment can help determine the state of your brand. But there are signs that may indicate your brand needs an AmperBrand® overhaul.

These 10 clues will tell you.

1. Have you lost market position? Did you ever have one?

If you were top of the heap ten years ago and now you’re number three, take a good hard look at your brand. Maybe you got so busy being a leader that you neglected to stay on top of all the stuff that put you on top. No shame in that. It happens to the best of us. Not us, but lots of businesses we know.

2. Are the results you get for your money… underwhelming?

No matter how much you spend, it seems you get about the same results. Sure, it could be that your nephew may not be the graphic design prodigy he said he was. Or that media and social media are changing things. But the bigger problem could be your message. Give the people what they want.

3. Are you happy with your logo?

Everyone gets tired of their logo eventually. If your logo doesn’t seem to fit who you are, it’s time to ask yourself, “Who am I… really?” You need to resolve your identity crisis before a logo redesign or logo evolution. It’s also possible you might need to completely reinvent it from scratch.

4. Are you happy with your name?

If your name doesn’t fit, you must not quit. Take control. Especially if it makes you sound out of touch with modern consumers. Ever heard of Brad’s Drink, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo or Blue Ribbon Sports? NO! Because they changed their names to Pepsi, Sony and Nike. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet. But a rotten name may turn off many prospective noses.

5. Has your strategy changed?

A significant change in your business strategy should provoke a long hard look at your brand strategy. Ask yourself, “What am I doing to set myself apart from my competition? What is my USP (unique selling proposition)? Does my brand reflect that?” If not… you have work to do.

6. Have you expanded or downsized?

When your company acquires new ones or divides, it may mean you’ve left your brand behind. This too may cause the degree of identity crisis that requires professional help. Thankfully, you’re on a site where professional help is a click or phone call away.

7. Are you a dinosaur?

If a comet striking your category has killed it, you can’t blame poor performance on your brand. But, if your feeble, little pterodactyl wings can’t keep up with the Airbus A380, it could be time to overhaul your brand. It’s not impossible to redefine your brand AND your category in the process!

8. Has the market changed?

We live in the Age of Startups. New players launch overnight and change the dynamic. Competitors leave and no one fills the void. Your brand may be well-positioned to take advantage. Or it may not. Let’s figure it out together!

9. Have you restructured?

When there’s a lot of change at the top, there’s bound to be confusion below. A strong brand development process is a great way to get everyone on the same page. It would be smart to have your brand help define what your positioning is.

10. Has your company reached… its 20th year?

Much like the “seven-year itch” dings marriages, the 20-year mark many times indicates a loss of focus or relevance in the market, assuming the company never evolved with the times. If your brand’s been around two decades, you’ve likely already answered yes to most of the above. It’s OK. You don’t have to ask. Of course, you need AmperBranding®.

So where does your company stand?

Healthy brand or unhealthy? For most successful companies, working on brand building – understanding it, delivering on it, communicating it, measuring it – is an all-the-time thing. If your organization has a clear vision of your brand and is acting on it, you’ve probably already stopped reading. If not, you’ll probably find yourself nodding yes to a number of the clues; it may be time to AmperBrand®. Call the Brand Architects™ at Spiro & Associates today for an opportunity to have your brand poked with a burning stick.